and I have arrived at the conclusion that it is coffee-related. I get so tired at work and I rely on caffeine and cos it stays in the bloodstream for so long, I thik it rears its ugly head at the weekend and night times too. Which is bad. At night, if I hear any noise at all, my body reacts as if I've heard a bomb go off!

this thread was created.....lately at work i have been having the same amount of coffee as my manager as he just gets up and makes one every half hour.....man, i have felt anxious, paranoid and bacially shifting from feeling high and positive to feeling low and like there is nothing much to look forward to

I get these feelings teribly with hangovers.....now i have got to watch my coffee intake!

i feel quite bad that i didn't spend more time with some people (you included) but i was chatting to thewarn and miserabli and bamos to begin with then i got drunk and either can't remember speaking to people or didn't bother doing it at all. i suspect it's the latter, i remember dancing and not much else.

i have some anxiety related problems. And it can be pretty upsetting when you feel on edge all day for no apparent reason. Especially when it seems others walk through things you find so painful. But when you actually bring the issue up it quickly becomes clear there are others in the same boat. The problem with anxiety conditions is the vicious circles you can get yourself into

1. Inability to talk about your feelings just makes you more repressed and nervous
2. Drinking a large amount of alcohol to forget/feel relaxed inevitably making you more nervous the next day. Also if you are drinking really heavily then the added stress of trying to remember what you did the night before is going to cause even more damage.
3. Inability to hold down a job and most doctors thinking (and even saying) you are a malingerer.

But there can often be simple explanations for anxiety that medical professionals rarely tell you - related to diet and lifestyle. Do you drink enough water? Do you eat regular meals and healthy foods? Don't be too cynical about these suggestions because if something as simple as a diet change can make you feel better then why not give it a try. Fatty foods are known to have a negative effect on the bowel - which can lead to an imbalance in your serotonin levels. Smoking and drinking DO make you more nervous - the relaxation they provide is only ever temporary. Cut them out altogether along with caffeine (that includes tea) if you can. Exercise is a traditional way to de-stress - use all that nervous energy (adrenalin) when it is needed and it might help. Certain medical conditions can make you anxious as well - get a blood test if you are worried about that as uncertainty about your physical health can lead to mental health deteriorating and vice versa.

Anxiety is normal - most people experience it as some time or another. One of the biggest problems I have found with it is the humiliation of admitting that you have a problem technically classed as 'mental health' (which as I have suggested above is kind of ironic given the possible physical causes and straightforward/self-help solutions).

it's pretty shit. When i first started seeing a therapist I was to ashamed to tell anyone. You are right though, so many people are excactly the same and it is possible to deal with it.
I always feel like something bad is about to happen and I put stupid things in my head all the time. I have lost a lot of friends because of it as people sometimes take the fact I dont want to go out as a sign I don't want to spend time with them.
The thing that really bugs me though is the sleeping. I wish so bad i could have a good nights sleep!